England’s seasoned fast bowler Chris Woakes has been sidelined for the remainder of the fifth Test against India after suffering a shoulder dislocation while attempting to stop a boundary on Day 1 at The Oval. The ECB announced before Day 2 that Woakes’ injury will be examined after the series is over.
The incident occurred when Woakes dived near the boundary rope, seemingly in considerable pain immediately after. Medical staff were promptly called in, and the visibly distressed bowler had to leave the field, indicating a premature end to his involvement in the match.
Notably, Woakes was one of only two bowlers, alongside India’s Mohammed Siraj, to feature in all five Tests of the series. As the most experienced seamer in the England squad, he had shouldered a heavy workload—bowling 181 overs in the series, the most he has delivered in a single campaign, before being forced out due to injury.
“Chris Woakes set to play no further part in the fifth Test. A further assessment will take place at the end of the series,” the brief statement read.
The right-arm seamer delivered 14 overs on the opening day of the fifth Test, giving away 46 runs and dismissing KL Rahul in the 16th over of India’s innings.
Chris Woakes’ Injury Is A Setback For England’s Bowling Line-up
Following a demanding fourth Test at Old Trafford, where England bowled a total of 257 overs, including 143 in the final innings, skipper Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer were left out of the playing XI for the fifth Test. Stokes was dealing with a shoulder injury, while Archer had already played back-to-back matches after returning from injury.
Chris Woakes was expected to be the stabilising force in England’s bowling unit, which entered the match without a specialist spinner. However, his injury-enforced absence now places greater responsibility on bowlers like Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, and Craig Overton, who will need to contribute with both bat and ball.
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